NEW YORK (WFAN) – The New York Yankees will look to improve upon their 64-51-1 Opening Day record when they host the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday.
We set out to rank the five best performances by Yankees in season openers, which was no easy task considering the volume of games for a franchise with such a rich history. Here are the five we landed on.
5. GIANCARLO STANTON, 2018
4. RUSS DERRY, 1945Derry only played in 187 big-league games, yet he had one of the most impactful Opening Days in Yankees history. On April 17, 1945, at Yankee Stadium, Derry went 2-for-4 with two homers. His seventh-inning grand slam broke a 4-4 tie against the Boston Red Sox. The Bronx Bombers then held on for the 8-4 victory.
3. ROGER MARIS, 1960Maris made his presence felt in his Yankees debut on April 19, 1960. He batted 4-for-5 with two home runs and four RBIs in an 8-4 win at Boston. Maris went on to win the American League MVP that season – and, of course, the following year as well when he belted a then-record 61 homers.
2. BABE RUTH, 1932Ruth's most memorable Opening Day might've been in 1923, when he opened up Yankee Stadium with a three-run homer, but his best season opener as a Yankee actually came in 1932, when he was 37 years old. Playing against the Philadelphia Athletics, he went 3-for-5 with two homers and five RBIs in a 12-6 victory.
1. MEL STOTTLEMYRE, 1967
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